The IMF are playing hardball in the Greek negotiations
It seems Angela Merkel is working hard to mediate the negotiations over Greece and the FT report that she had a private meeting with Greek PM Alexis Tsipras in which she told him that there would be no deal without the IMF giving it the ok
That's pretty much to be expected as the IMF are one third tied into Greece alongside the EU and ECB but from reading the article it looks like the IMF is the one taking a real hard line on Greece
The story reports that the IMF are unhappy as they believe that the new Greek government has gone back on reforms and they also want assurances from the EU that Greece can pay what it owes over the next 12 months
Earlier Christine Lagarde said that a deal on Greece couldn't be "quick and dirty" and that there had to be a comprehensive approach. This apparently has come on the back of IMF staff saying that they will not agree to disburse aid without a comprehensive deal that would start to lower debt levels
There's been noises of compromise from both Greece and the EU but it looks like the IMF might be sticking to its guns which is ruffling feathers in Greece
Merkel apparently relayed such a message to Tsipras today while an EU official also warned Greece on the IMF's tough stance;
"They [Greece] have been listening to too many people who think that there may be some partial agreement. There will be no such thing. And there will be no agreement without IMF. And the IMF is super tough."
It's another look through the window of the ongoing Greek saga and it tells us how the players are lining up. The ECB seems to be sitting back and waiting to see what comes from the EU and IMF, while it looks like the IMF is going to have a very big say on the outcome
The full story from the FT is here (may be gated)
Merkel trying to play the middle (wo)man
